WASHINGTON: Pakistan is developing new types of nuclear weapons, including short-range tactical ones that bring more risks to the region, America's intelligence chief warned on Tuesday.

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats' remarks came days after a group of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists struck the Sunjuwan Military Camp in Jammu on Saturday, killing seven people including six soldiers.

Pakistan is developing new types of nuclear weapons, including short-range tactical weapons, Coats told lawmakers during a Congressional hearing on worldwide threats organised by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

These new types of nuclear weapons will introduce new risks for escalation of dynamics and security in the region, Coats said, reflecting on the risks involved in developing such types of nuclear weapons.

Coats said North Korea will be among the most volatile and confrontational weapons of mass destruction (WMD) threats to the US over the next year.

North Korea s history of exporting ballistic missile technology to several countries, including Iran and Syria, and its assistance during Syria s construction of a nuclear reactor -- destroyed in 2007 -- illustrates its willingness to proliferate dangerous technologies.

In 2017 North Korea, for the second straight year, conducted a large number of ballistic missile tests, including its first Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) tests.

Pyongyang is committed to developing a long-range, nuclear-armed missile that is capable of posing a direct threat to the United States.

It also conducted its sixth and highest yield nuclear test to date.

We assess that North Korea has a longstanding Biological Weapons (BW) capability and biotechnology infrastructure that could support a BW programme. We also assess that North Korea has a Chemical Weapons (CW) programme and probably could employ these agents by modifying conventional munitions or with unconventional, targeted methods, he said.